Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic and other applications. Semiconductor devices comprise, among other things, integrated circuits or discrete devices that are formed on semiconductor wafers by depositing one or more types of thin films of material over the semiconductor wafers, and patterning the thin films of material to form the integrated circuits.
The semiconductor devices are typically packaged within a ceramic or a plastic body to protect the semiconductor devices from physical damage or corrosion. The packaging also supports the electrical contacts required to connect a semiconductor device, also referred to as a die or a chip, to other devices external to the packaging. Many different types of packaging are available depending on the type of semiconductor device and the intended use of the semiconductor device being packaged. Typical packaging features, such as dimensions of the package, pin count, etc., may comply, among others, with open standards from Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council (JEDEC). Packaging may also be referred as semiconductor device assembly or simply assembly.
One of the concerns of packaging relates to the minimization of parasitic effects. This is because packaging can dramatically alter the performance of the semiconductor chip within because of parasitic resistances, inductances, and others.